THE Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ) has started its “Books on Wheels” programme, which is geared at increasing the accessibility of books to children in hospitals across Jamaica.

Under the programme, books are donated to hospitals for children confined to bed via carts fitted with wheels.

“Children at hospitals often times don’t have access to reading material. A lot of them are confined to bed because of whatever their illness is, and I thought it might be a good idea to take the books to them,” said Elizabeth Ramesar, secretary for the BIAJ, who was innovator of the initiative.

“So (I thought) if we had a cart, if it was mobile, volunteers or nurses or parents could roll the cart to the beds of children who are confined to bed and they can choose a book, or if they cannot read the parents can read to them,” added Ramesar, who is also an Observer employee.

The latest donation was made recently at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, with the input of Bryan’s Book Store. President of the bookstore, Paul Bryan made the presentation of the neatly built cart, which was fitted with wheels and sliding glass doors, complete with locks, to the hospital’s paediatric ward.

Bryan said their sponsorship of the programme would be ongoing.

“It’s a case where it’s not just a one-time donation. We’ll be maintaining it. We’ll be checking and replenishing as time goes by,” he said.

Chief executive officer at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, Linden Buchanan, and ward sister Carmen Marsh Smith were delighted at the presentation. Buchanan noted that it would help the children pass the time in hospital care more pleasantly. Marsh Smith said that it would no doubt enhance the children’s learning capabilities while boosting the institution’s efforts to provide meaningful activities for them.

The next stop for Books on Wheels is scheduled for September 15, at the Spanish Town Hospital and then later on September 22, at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay. Sangster’s Bookstores Limited is to be a part of that effort.

“We expect to do ours in September – Spanish Town Hospital and Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay,” managing director Loxley Henry confirmed, adding that his commitment to the programme was born of its aim to improve and enhance literacy among the children it benefited.